Blackwell's to Open Six Xmas Pop-Up Shops

Shelf Awareness

Blackwell's, the U.K. academic bookselling chain, plans to open as many as six "pop-up sites at Christmas markets across the UK and establish short-term leases in permanent buildings," the Bookseller reported. The locations include Camden Market in London, Bath and Bristol galleries, as well as  spots in Leeds, Manchester and Edinburgh.

"We have looked to open in sites associated with book lovers. All the temporary shops will be located in successful consumer shopping areas which people know well," said Scott Hamilton, Blackwell's head of sales. He added that the openings are expected to boost the company's image and increase its consumer reach during the holiday season.

Noting that the kiosk strategy is an increasingly popular one, Good E-Reader suggested temporary locations "sell e-books and a limited selection of print books to holiday shoppers who are weary of waiting for friends or family members in the holiday rush, although audiobooks and noise-cancelling headphones to block out the endless loops or recorded Christmas carols might prove to be an even bigger sell."